VICTIM PARTIALLY REIMBURSED AFTER FRAUD

Retiree duped by insurance scam warns others to ‘investigate before you do anything’

Jessie Penner calls herself a fool for falling for an insurance fraud.

The 91-year-old retired schoolteacher was willing to say it publicly Thursday, in hopes of helping prevent other seniors from losing money to scam artists.

“If I can save one person from being taken advantage of, this is all worth it,” Penner said to a crowd of reporters and county prosecutors gathered in the driveway of her Clairemont home of 60 years.

“Investigate before you do anything, with the Better Business Bureau, the DA, television stations.”

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis was there to hand Penner a $23,817.73 check, partial restitution for the nearly $100,000 in premiums that Penner and her husband, Roger, paid for a bogus home-care insurance policy.

The Penners were two of the 238 victims in San Diego County who were swindled out of $1.9 million in premiums collected by a Las Vegas couple since 2004.

Authorities said Michael and Melissa Woodward ran their scam for nearly 10 years across six states, targeting seniors while amassing a $6 million fortune that they spent on homes, art, cars, jewelry and other luxuries.

They would charge high annual premiums, but reimburse clients for only small claims to cover the costs of home help.

The couple were arrested this year and pleaded guilty to tax fraud in San Diego Superior Court in June. Michael Woodward is serving an 11-year prison sentence, and Melissa Woodward was put on five years’ probation. They were ordered to pay $3 million in restitution.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Zachry, who prosecuted the couple, said it’s rare for fraud victims to get back much of the money they lose. In this case, he said, the Woodwards had an estimated $1.5 million in assets that were seized and are being sold off. Victims will receive two restitution checks covering up to 60 percent of their losses.

Penner said her husband, a retired postal worker who died in 2009, was eager to get the home-care policy.

“Roger thought it was a good deal,” Penner said. “(Michael Woodward) had a lot of charisma and was a good salesman. I’m mad at myself for being such a fool.”

She said the experience has made her more careful, and when a telemarketer once tried to persuade her to update her trust, she told him not to call again. “Now, I just hang up,” Penner said.